PHA’s Annual National Convention to highlight the evolving health-care system
Health-care professionals and hospital owners alike will flock to Manila Hotel on November 14 – 16 for the 69th Annual National Convention hosted by the Philippine Hospital Association (PHA). With the theme “Enhance, Enable, Evolve: The Health-care System of the Future,” the PHA hopes to introduce and update members of the medical-care industry with the latest trends in technology and medical news.
“The trend now is the advancing technology; the technology is changing too fast,” says Dr. Huberto Lapuz, President of the PHA. “We also present to our members the new regulations from the Department of Health and PhilHealth; as well as updates on emerging infections, updates on dengue, leptospirosis, Ebola, and new diseases that have come out,” he says.
The ANC will bring together medical professionals and the top medical suppliers in the country and around the world. “Conventions like these are an opportunity for them to network among themselves, because they rarely meet each other,” says Dr. Ma. Lourdes Otayza, Vice-President for Luzon and the Overall Chair of the 69th ANC. “They are able to change and exchange ideas, strengthen the friendships they have made over the years, as well as have the opportunities to do business.”
“The convention will be the largest exposition of medical equipment. You will see the latest equipment, instruments, hospital supplies and other health-related items such as medicines, hospital uniforms and housekeeping materials that hospitals use like disinfectants,” adds Lapuz.
“We also want to share with the attendees the lessons or knowledge we have gained from attending international conventions. For example, we recently attended an international conference in Bangkok. Their concerns were the increase of the aging population, so they are now focusing their attention in preparing their hospitals for their elderly patients such as providing geriatric medicine,” shares Lapuz.
“As the years pass, we see more and more patients suffering from chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, and the hospitals there are also preparing for it,” he adds.
Conventions and conferences such as the ANC have become important venues for doctors, nurses, hospital administrators and owners to come together and discuss how to better serve their patients. “There is a conscious effort, for example, quality care, patient care — these are the burning topics today and these are the agendas of our conventions and conferences,” says Otayza.
The PHA is an umbrella organization that provides support to its members in the pursuit of the nation’s health agenda. It is a nationally and internationally recognized association that dates back to 1949. Presently, it has 2,060 hospital members, both in the public and private sectors.